Hunger
by B.Logan
Summary: A growing hunger fuels and unspeakable act.


What? Did you see that? How can anybody possibly gloss over the fact that Aidan was about to chow down on Robbie!

This is my take on what should have happened. I wanted to get my theory out before the end of the series. I just know it in my bones that Aidan growing appetite is not his fault.

I would really love a review. Please tell me what you think so I know that I am not alone in here!

**Disclaimer**: Like everyone here I do not claim to own anything. I don't claim ownership of the characters, the show, or anything else. It all just for fun.

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Aidan entered the house holding his phone he looked up to see everyone turn and stare at him with various looks of barely contained panic. 'They know' was his first terrified thought but they aren't going to say it with Robbie here. Than he looked again more carefully this time surveying each of their faces. No it wasn't him something else was amiss. Wait something was wrong with Robbie, no heartbeat and the air surrounding around him was that of a ghost. Robbie was dead.

He turned to Sally "Oh my god Sally I'm so sorry?"

What happened? How? Where the basement? How long ago he wondered. The next thought that came to him was surreal; and he did not even bother to hold onto it he let it roll right past him as he was compelled to do what his body demanded. Hunger. Blood.

He moved swiftly making an excuse, using words he did not remember saying.

Seconds latter he was almost surprised to find himself down in the dark dank basement wonderland hovering over Robbie corpse, eyes black and hunger building. He heard himself breathing hard as he stepped closer to drawn to the smell of scorched blood. He tried to untangle his thoughts, but only one word keep repeating in his brain "Food".

He didn't see the meal lying spread out before him on the concrete floor as a person. He couldn't recognize the deceased as Robbie, Sally's brother. He didn't even see the body as once having been a living human being. All he could envision was large sack of cold blood that he must consume.

Transfixed he knelt down and felt his fangs as he ran his tongue over them in anticipation of his next fix. He didn't hear or feel Sally's ghostly arrival in the basement until she spoke, and snapped him out of his blood trance.

Startled he turned to face her as he struggled to tamp down the monster. His eyes betrayed him and he knew it instantly by the scared look on her face. He was caught in the act and physically unable to put away the vampire in time. Retracting his true nature was a well-practiced motion that he normally preformed in less than an instant. But now it felt like a lifetime worth's of an imposable task he could not perform.

It was the last thing Sally ever expected to see; Aidan hunched over her brother about to feed off of his dead body. Who knew vampires would even do that, feeding off of a corpse. "Okay, okay" Sally whispered as she tried to sooth herself. 'No. Not okay' her mind rebelled 'N-O-T - O-K-A-Y!'

"No Aidan" She screamed "NO!" as a protective wall of flames shot up and blocked him from Robbie.

Aidan collapsed to the basement floor as if Sally had physically attacked him with a sledgehammer. Ashamed at being caught and unable to banish his demon he fumbled to cover his betraying eyes and fangs behind his hands, hoping to hide until he could regain control over his body. Even than he could not contain his hunger by pull the black from his eyes enough to look up at her. "Sorry, sorry" he pleaded curling into a ball and gripping his left side in pain as he moaned weak apologies into the cold concrete.

Sally stood frozen, her eyes darting back and forth, first to her bothers body and than to the vampire withering to pieces on the floor. She felt dizzy as her mind raced trying to make sense the situation. "Okay, okay" she repeated softly to get a grip and calm herself.

Shock and anger disappeared as she carefully melted back into her emotions, letting them come to her more slowly. Shock was replaced by confusion "What the hell?" She whispered as she walked over and squatted down next to Aidan. Seeing that he was in actual physical pain her anger was replaced by compassion as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

During the two weeks she spent as an unwilling witness to Aidan's unrepentant life during the nineteen thirties she had seen countless unspeakable acts of violence and cruelty. So many in fact, that she was still struggling to reconcile the evil monster with the roommate that she had grown to love since her death. All during that time of mass killings and constant feeding she had not seen him truly thirsty. But what she had noticed was that the more blood he consumed the worse his hunger and withdraw was between feedings. She put that image together with the vampire she knew today, physically pale and weak by comparison, restrained and withdrawn to protect those around him. He would rather suffer as long as he could hold out rather than disappoint himself and his friends. She had seen first hand the signs that he displayed when becoming ill; dry eyes rimmed red, lethargy, sweating and uncontrollable shaking.

By the time he finally turned to look up at her, he had regained some composure. His fangs were gone but his black eyes wore an empty expression. She noticed that he was agitated but not sweating or shaking. He appeared more possessed and determined than in the throes of a fix. She wondered if this was something new, something she hadn't seen before. Perhaps it was the next step beyond the symptoms. Was it the 'instincts kicking in' that he had warned her about?

"Sally, please forgive me, I…I" even as Aidan spoke he could not help but let his gaze drift back across the room and sweep along the length of Robbie and land on his neck. He stared to unfurl and move toward her brother.

Like a ton of bricks it hit her all at once. It was in that hollow look he wore, that Sally recognized that this was not his normal vampire hunger but instead some thing she understood too well.

"Adian! Aidan! Snap out it!" She screamed like a banshee. Concentrating all of her solidness to her hand she slapped him hard against the face.

Startled he to turn to her and focused on face her, she had pulled him back from the edge. "Sally" he pleaded forgiveness but his empty look remained. "I cant…"

"I don't know" he cleared his throat and tried to shift, "I, I , I …." He squeezed his face tight and swallowed hard. "I'm stuck." He grunted out in frustration.

The sound of Sally's yelling at Aidan traveled upstairs it caught the attention of the others. Josh was the first one to race down the stairs; panting hard he scanned the room for danger. Josh's gaze landed squarely on Aidan as his shining yellow wolf eyes locked with Aidan's blackened ones. Aidan sprang to his feet and circled Josh, fangs drawn and ready to kill. And so there they were best friends and monsters both, squared off facing each other while growling inhuman warnings of dominance.

Sally's heart raced as she materialized between the two of them. Nora arrived and instinctively reached out to Josh grabbing him by the arm and holding him back. Nora's touch had a direct effect on Josh by yanking him away from the rage. He reached out pulled her in tight, burying his face in her hair and inhaling her scent to clam himself. She hugged him as hard and whispered I love you into his ear.

Sally stood inches away in front of Aiden and blocking his reach toward Josh. She watched as he clenched his fist, threw back his head, and stretched out his jaw trying to unsuccessfully bite back his fangs. Feeling his stress over his inability to control his monster Sally soothed him "It's okay, it's okay, don't fight it." Aidan stood still, hung his head low and closed his eyes. Having been given permission to 'just be' for a moment allowed him to breath, relax and try again.

He walked away to the back corner of the room, far from the others and Robbie's body so he could no longer see it. Gripping the top of his head with both hands and wrapping his arms around it to block out all temptation he was at last, able to normalize.

When he retuned to the group he reached out and laid one hand on Josh's shoulder while the other remained clutching his side. Josh look up from Nora as all four of them exchanged absurd looks of relief. Not really sure what happened or what to do next Josh reached out and embraced Aidan, instantly both Nora and Sally added to the group hug. As they untangled Nora asked "Is everyone ok?" as they nodded in agreement Aidan held his side and winced. Josh noticed the look of pain. "What's going on?" Aidan tried to wave him off but Josh reached forward and tugged at his shirt, insisting "Let me see." Aidan shrugged as he reluctantly lifted his shirt to reveal a small dark hole that stood out against his expanse of pale white skin. Sally gasped in horror at what she recognized right away as the beginnings of a rot spot, right where she had bitten him during her zombie life.

Nora gave voice to everyone's fears "My god, Aidan you're…rotting" she said as she reached out with a gentle nurse's touch to inspect him. Surprised by what he saw Aidan realized that the hunger he was experiencing was not part of his uncontrollable nature but rather a gruesome side affect of Donnas' magic. Josh too also felt an odd scene of relief over his recent wolf like tendencies. Nora turned and gripped Josh by both shoulders before hugging him close "And Josh, your wolf it's taking over because you went thought that portal. It's all because of that witch." She continued breathlessly "No, no, no this can't be happening" tossing her hands into the air as if to pled to whatever god or devil may or may not watch over monsters.

Sally felt like braking down and crying right than and there. But she didn't because she was strong now and because she was determined not to give up on her friends, that never given up on her. "This is all my fault. I have to fix this."

"No Sally, don't it's okay. I don't want you to." Aidan pleaded. "Its not worth it. I am not worth it."

"I have to." She looked into his sad eyes "Aidan, you can't give up." She continued "Besides, what about Josh? He needs me to fix this"

Gripping each other tightly Nora and Josh stood shaking their heads. "No Sally we have had enough magic already. Nora and I we'll find a way to work though this."

"Josh. Aidan. Nora" Sally began "I know you don't approve of magic but I have got to find Donna and not just to save Robbie now, but to save all of us."

And with that Sally dissipated.

She was on a mission to save everyone she loved, and god help, her she was going to succeed no matter what the cost.


End file.
